Four-way snap-switch.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

N. W. GRANDALL. POUR WAY SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1906.

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UNITED STAT. 5S

lATE N T ()FF 1 CE.

NATHAN W. (.RAXlLiLll, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGXOR TO Tlll!) PERKINS CORPORATION, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- TION OF CONNECTICUT.

FOUR-WAY SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed July 27,1906- Serial No. 328,113.

To (t/l whom, it may concern.

Be it known that I, NATHAN W. CRANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Four-Nay Snap-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of a push button snap switch of the s ecies commonly known as a 4-way switch. hese switches are used in connection with two 3-way switches for controlling a group of lights from any one of three localities. If additional localities of control are desired 4- way switches are joined so the lights can becontrolled by any one of the switches. In 4-way switches according to their condition and the condition of the other switches in the circuit the current follows one of-four diil'erent aths.

1e object of this invention is to provide a very simple construction whereby a common push button switch mechanism may be easily transformed into an eilicient 4-way switch, thereby simplifying the production and cbeapening the cost of a 4-way switch."

The specific construction of the polethrowing mechanism of this switch is immaterial to this invention and many of the ordinary forms of mechanism could be utilized.

The feature of novelty in the invention resides in the arrangement and co-action of the stationary contacts and movable pole pieces whereby the terminals are either connected across the ends through the contacts only or across the sides through some of the contacts and the poles.

' In the form of invaition illustrated in the drawings when the switch mechanism is actuated in such manner as to throw the movable poles out of engagement with the stationary contacts the line terminals at each .encl of the receptacle are connected with each other through the stationary contacts, and when the switch mechanism is actuated so that thepole pieces engage the stationary contacts, the line terminals on each side are connected through the pole pieces and those across each end disconnected by reason of a se aration of the stationary contacts.

T 1e type of push button switch actuating mechanism which is illustrated as most convenient for the purpose of explaining this invention is that described in United States Patent No. 732,890, dated July 7, 1903.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a side elevation of one of these switches constructed according to this invention, with the side of the receptacle cut away so as to expose the mechanism, the parts being in the positions occupied when the movable pole pieces are engaged with the stationary contacts so as to connect the side terminals. Fig. :2 shows the push buttons, the spring plate to which they are connected, the escape late to which the pole pieces are adapted to lie connected and the oscillating escapcment in the same relative positions as shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3 shows the same parts with the usb buttons in the positions occupied just iiefore the escapemcnt is released to allow the pole pieces to be thrown for disengaging them from the stationary contacts. Fig. t shows the same parts in the positions occupied after the escapementhas been oscillated so as to allow the pole pieces to be thrown for disengaging them from the stationary contacts. Fig. 5 shows an enlarged transverse section of t-hc mechanism taken through the frame plate on the plane of the spindle. Fig. (5 shows a horizontal section of the lcccptacle. Fig. 7 shows the metal part of one of the pole pieces. Fig. 8 shows the insulation part of one of the pole pieces. Fig. 5) shows a diagram of a manner of connecting up one of these switches. Fig. 10 is a vertical trans verse section of the receptacle showing the stationary spring contact fingers at one end in contact, as they are when not separated by the mo 'abie pole pieces.

The receptacle. 1 for this switch may be made of porcelain or any other suitable material in any desired shape. The staiionac contacts are preferably spring lingers ar-' ranged in pairs at each end and fastened in the interior to the bottom of the receptacle. The outer contact fingers l of each pair are preferably connected with plates that at their upper ends have binding screws l for the attachment. of the ends of the line wires. The inner contact fingers 5 at each end are joined or formed from a single piece and they are so bent that they spring against and tend to make close contact with the adjacent outer contact fingers when they are in their normal positions and are not separated by the pole pieces. As a result of this construc..

7 of the frame plate 8 which is attached to the supporting plate 9 that is secured across the. open end of the receptacle. plate 10 is attached by screws to. the supporting plate in thensual manner. 7

.The pole pieces are mounted upon the ends of the spindle. sists of an outer metallic plate 11 and an inner, insulating plate 12. The .ends of these pole plates are adapted to be thrown between or Withdrawn from between the spring fingers which form the stationary contacts by .the actuating mechanism.

When the pole pieces are between the stationary contacts. the outer fingers of the stationary contacts on each side are electric ally connected through the metallic pole plates, and the inner fingers of the stationary contacts are electrically separated from each other and from the adjacent outer fingers by the insulating plates of the pole pieces. When the pole pieces are withdrawn from between the stationary contacts there is no metallic onnection between the outer fingers on each side but there is instantly formed metallic connection between the outer fingers at each end through the adjacent inner fingers.

The spring plate 13 has a hub 14 which is loosely mounted on the frame plate-hub. Pivotally connected with opposite sides of the spring plate are the shanks 15 of the push button 16.

, Loosely mounted on the spindle is an escape plate 17. This plate is connected with one pole piece by a' lug 18 and with the other pole piece by a lug 19 so that its oscillation causes the oscillation of the pole pieces.

The lug 18 extends from the escape plate toward the spring plate and the spring plate has a lug 20 that extends toward the escape plate. A spring 21 is coiled about the hub of the spring plate in such manner that its to engage lugs 26 that project rearwardlyfrom the escape plate teeth.

When the outer of the push buttons is thrust inwardly the spring plate. is oscillated and the coiled spring put under tension."

The escape yoke holds the escape plate from A face Each pole piece con-- connected from terminal 31.

turning and consequently holds the poles rrom being thrown until the push button is pushed in far enough to engage the end of the escape yoke in such manner that further movement of the push button disengages the other end of the escape yoke from a tooth of the escape plate and allows the escape plate and the poles to be thrown by the spring which at this time is under sufiicient tension to throw the poles violently;

When the actuating-mechanism is operated and the poles of th s switch are thrown so, as to engage the contacts and connect the terminals on each side, current can pass through the switch in either direction across either side. When the pole pieces are thrown so thatthey do not connect the con- .taets current can ass in either direction across either end of the switch through the spring contact fingers.

VVhen' a 4-waysw1tch embodying this invention is connected up with two 3-way switches, as illustrated'in Fig. 9, a group of li hts, or other electrical a aratus 27, ma I D I y be turned on or ofi from the ocalityof either of these three switches. V If the pole, pieces of the 4-way switch embodying this invention are thrown so that they do not connect the side contacts and it is desiredto light the lamps from the locality of switch 28 that switch is operated and then the current will How in the circuit from the plus main to the terminal 30, then through the pole of this switch to the terminal 31, then to the end terminal 32 of the 4-way switch, then to the end terminal 33, and

from there to the terminal 34 of the 3-way switch '29 and through the pole of that switch to the terminal 35, and to the lamps and'theminus main. This circuit can be opened by'pushing either of the switches.

If the switch 28 is pushed terminal 30 is dis- I If the switch 29 is pushed terminal 34 is disconnected from terminal 35. If the 4-way switch is pushed terminal 32 is disconnected from terminal 33. If the lights are put out by pushing the switch 28 and disconnecting the terminal 30 from the terminal-31, then. the terminal 36 is connected with the terminal 37, as usual with a 3-way switch. With this construction made the lamps can be lighted by pushing the switch 28 and again connecting 30 and 31, or by pushing the switch 29 and connecting 40'and 41, in which case the current passes through the 4-way switch from the terminal 38 to the terminal 39, or

,by pushing the 4-way and connecting the terminals 38 and 33. If the lamp circuit was opened by pushing the 4-way switch instead of either of the 3-way switches, then 32 would not be connected with 33 nor 33 with 39, but 32 would be connected with 39 and with 38 through the poles of the 4-way switch. Then the lamps could be light by snapping the 4-way switch so that the end formed of conducting material and insuterminals wonld be connected, or by pushing lating material and arranged to be thrown the switch 28, in which case the current 1 between pairs of stationary contacts and 'wouldfiow through the 4-way switch from 38 1 when in such position to insulate the conto 33 and thence to the lamps, or by pushing l tacts that were in engagement and electric? the switch 29in which case the current would ally join the contacts that were separated, flow through the 4-way switch from 32 to 39 mechanism for throwing the poles, and push and thence to the lamps. buttons for actuating said mechanism, subl'lihe invention claimed ils :1: f stantially as specified.

neectrica s a switc1 avin our )airs IT y T of stationary sp i' in gl contacts, said con tacts AA'FHAA CRAXDALL' being arranged to engage with one another in Witnesses: pairs, a pair of oscillating poles that are. in- H RRY R. WILL'IAMs, sulated from each other, each pole being ETHEL M. LOWE. 

